


Life's Greatest Blessing

by YallHearSumn



Series: Life's Greatest Blessing and Other Adventures [1]
Category: Ant-Man (Movies), Captain America (Movies), Captain Marvel (2019), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Family, Bruce mentioned, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Bucky Barnes Returns, Carol Danvers & Tony Stark Friendship, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Clint Barton Is a Good Bro, Cute Kids, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Dynamics, Friendship, Happy, I Mean Hes Been Here Awhile, I Tried, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Logan And Tony Friendship, Logan Is An Old Friend, Logan Is Soft, M/M, Maybe Ill Add On, Minor Carol Danvers/James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Natasha Romanov Feels, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Natasha Romanov-centric, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Not Sure If Its An AU Though, One Big Happy Family, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Steve, Protective Team, Red Room (Marvel), Steve Feels, Stevetony are domestic, Team Feels, Team as Family, The Avengers Are Good Bros, They Have Kids, Theyre Still Superheroes, Thor/Jane mentioned, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is Good With Kids, Tony-centric, Trans Character, Trans Tony Stark, We Love A Family, We Love A Healthy Family, Weird Timeframe Which I did Not Explain, Whipped Steve, Whipped Tony, everyone is soft, in a way? - Freeform, now part of a series!, once again, supportive team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-15 07:47:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16058684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YallHearSumn/pseuds/YallHearSumn
Summary: “That’s our fertile myrtle,” Clint jokes, smile creeping onto his face as he scoops up Harley to make place for Strange, “we should probably keep the two of them away from each other, 'cause I’m convinced that at this stage, if Steve even so much as breathes a certain way, Tony’ll be knocked up with like, quintuplets or something.”In which a slightly younger Tony and not-so-fresh-out-the-ice Steve are grossly in love and keep popping out babies and the Team actually IS a family.Alternatively,Natasha and Tony discover the meaning of family and happiness.Alternatively,FamilyLife's greatest blessing, a group that dreams, laughs, plays and loves together, those whom you can always count on, always present not only in the good times, the most precious gifts.





	Life's Greatest Blessing

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, gals and non-binary pals!! Back with a second story, basically I just wanted SteveTony to be happy and for the team to be a family (damn you marvel). Edit: as of 23/09/18 I edited and some new parts were added from the original doc that I only found today!! Many apologies to everyone who read pre-editing <3 POSSIBLE TW: MENTIONS IF PAST STRUGGLES/IMPLICATIONS OF WAR AND THE RED ROOM. Nothing graphic, but just in case!!

Saturday barbeques, it was a thing they did. A weird thing in Natasha’s opinion, but Tony had jokingly complained it was unpatriotic of anybody to oppose football and good old-fashioned rump on the grill as means of family bonding time.

In all honesty, Natasha (not so) secretly loved getting together with everybody, being able to relax in each other’s presences and generally catching up with everybody in a not-life-or-death situation for once. Seriously Clint, was telling the entire team you had a severe case of athlete’s foot over the comms during a doom invasion really that important?

In the two months she and James had been away on a stealth mission in Kuala Lumpur, Nova and Gwen had both started walking, Peter had lost a tooth and Harley had his first haircut. Seeing Tony waddle after two little terrors while simultaneously trying to control the human equivalent of a tornado that was Harley was beyond amusing, not to mention Steve nearly shitting himself when Peter decided to backflip off the back of the couch to show “Aunty Nat” his new trick. Natasha had laughed at that, and praised her little spider for how good he was getting at acrobatics and gymnastics, and that she couldn’t wait for him to start ballet so that they could twirl their way around the room in tutus. 

“Your kid’s doing ballet Tony?” came Logan’s question, (“We met a couple of years ago when I was saving his ass and then kicking it,” Logan had gruffed when Tony introduced him to the team, a box of something in his hand. Everybody had been surprised that Tony knew the Wolverine, but Rhodey and Carol had greeted him like old friends).

“Not yet, classes don’t start ‘til Summer, but we’ve taken him down to the studio on 44th to see if he’d like it,” Tony said, hoisting Nova onto his hip and keeping a watchful eye on Harley and Gwen who seemed to be enjoying the sugary snacks put out on the coffee a little too much.

“I just know the kids gonna be an overachiever, he’s barely five and he’s doing what, three different sports?” Logan asks.

“Hey, kid’s just tryna get out the house, what with Steve and Tony over here trying to single-handedly repopulate the world. I’m surprised they haven’t ran out of baby names yet,” Clint snarks, earning him a princess Sofia cup to the head as Tony glides to the kitchen with a huff, Nova babbling incoherently and drooling all over the front of Tony’s shirt.

“Platypus, Clint’s bullying me again!” The brunet calls, a devious glint shining in his eyes when Jim peeks in through the sliding door, eyes narrowed and grill fork still in hand.

“Behave yourself, Barton, or you’ll be put on babysitting duty for a week. Alone. With BOTH Harley and Peter,” Rhodey threatens, smirking when Clint visibly swallows, and pops back out.

“Oh my god, I’m shaking. Since when do we joke like that?” Clint asks eyes darting around the room, knowing Rhodey always turned threats into promises, as Harley climbs up the arm of the couch towards him. Menacing little squirt, Clint thinks fondly. 

And just like that, the room erupts into laughs, Nova and Gwen joining in, despite not understanding what was going on.

The atmosphere is relaxed, the contentment of their family palpable as Natasha and James lay cuddled up on the recliner, Nat running her fingers through James’ hair and feeling the vibrations of his laughter rumble in his chest. This is what it felt like to be well and truly happy, as happy as people like them could be. 

This is what happiness looked like for Natasha. Happiness was crashing in to the Malibu mansion at ass o’clock in the morning, sore and tired from missions and training and waking up to Harley and Pete’s morning cartoons, it was the curve of James’ smile as he dipped down and slotted their lips together, it was Rhodey’s laugh, booming uncontrollably from within and spreading through the room. It was a reassuring "Good morning, Miss Romanova, I trust you slept well" from J.A.R.V.I.S., who was always letting the AC in their room run colder when her nightmares woke her and was always the first to welcome her home, the eye in the sky taking care of them. And if this J.A.R.V.I.S. was anything like the man who had raised Tony, she was beyond thankful.  
It Clint’s voice filtering through the house as he shouted about whatever show he was binge watching that week, he's face the first she looked for in a room, always welcoming, always open, he never saw her as the monster the Red Room created, only as his most trusted friend and partner; Bruce’s quiet, intelligent eyes seeing more than he ever said, giving quiet support when the world became too much to deal with, too unforgiving. He had once said that they were all the same, broken people thrown into a life they often didn't get to control. He practiced meditation to keep his peace, she, to forgive herself and learn to breathe without a thousand eyes judging her for living when they no longer were.  
It was Steve's soft words of comfort, for both her and James; a man out of time fighting his own trauma, his survivor's guilt eating at him like a parasite, and yet finally starting the family he had always wanted with the love of his life. He somehow always found time to coax her out of a funk, out of her head where faces stared back at her, some showing betrayal, most looked at her with fear, desperation. "One day at a time," Steve would say, soft smiles and strong embraces.  
Sam was a saint, a man who saw war and could go on hoping and trusting the world would change. "We've all done things we're not proud of not, hell, half of us are military! Nothing you can say will make us turn our backs on you, you're fanily," he said, guiding her to rest her head between her knees and putting a comforting, solid hand on her shoulder. Thor was a strong presence, always retelling tales of his home, of strong women being warriors, building empires, making the sacrifices needed for their _survival _while Tony had always understood. Understood and never said anything that would give either of them away.  
He hid his pain out of instinct, mask upon mask, and yet went above and beyond to help everyone else through theirs. He didn't speak about the Red Room, about the graduation ceremony she had confessed to him about one sleepless night and in turn she didn't mention Obadiah's betrayal, or Yinsen or the Ten Rings. He had pressed a card into her hand one day, belly heavy with Peter, silent, eyes giving away nothing and promptly turned back to the show they were watching. Thinking it was a card for whatever place he was craving now, she ruffled his hair and strolled over to the kitchen to make the call, face screwing up in confusion. Instead of being a sushi bar or pizza place, it was for a therapist, a Dr. Bow from Long Island. Getting ready to confront Tony, her eyes caught the writing on the back: _"We're both to proud to say it, but we need help. She's good, professional, private. We deserve happiness, Nat". _All fight had left her body, and, shoving her hands into her hoodie, card still held tightly in her fist, she'd rejoined him on the couch, putting her hand on his belly. They didn't need to say anthing, and every once in a while, she would run her thumb across the card. The next day, she made a call.____

_____ _

____

****_****_ ** ____ **

****_____ _ ** **

Her family embodied her happiness, and every moment spent with them, made her past a little more inconsequential, every giggle from Peter, every hug from Harley ( _always so tight and full of love, and trusting _), every wet raspberry to the cheek from Gwen and Nova gave her the strength to face _them, _to make her silent apology when she closed her eyes for sleep. James was there when she awoke, sweating and throat closed around a scream, he would wrap her up in his arms and just stay. It was normal for them, probably for everyone else too, but a good night's sleep and a full night's sleep had long since became two very different things.____

_____ _

_____ _

Carol is thundering with laughter, Tony sidling up next to her after putting Nova and Gwen in their play pen and taking over marinating the meat as Carol chops vegetable for the sides and _potjiekos _, while Sam kneads the dough for bread. Tony had come across some South African restaurant while downtown and had fallen in love with the dish, promptly asked for a recipe and let J.A.R.V.I.S. adjust the grocery list for that week. A lot of evenings were made fun because of everyone’s ever growing need to try the most outlandish dishes; Sam and Tony were trying to out-chef each other, which meant that the rest of them were more often than not treated to new and tasty treats, and Nat had even joined in one night a few years back, enjoying the way everyone practically fell into their plates of stroganoff. It was nothing really, a dish she could make with her eyes closed but it had grown to become Tony’s favourite food during his pregnancies and when he was sick, claiming Steve’s chicken soup didn’t come close.__

____

____

Clint lounges on the sofa across from her, now pouting and pointedly watching whatever game they had put on solely for traditions sake, his hair mussed up from Peter’s budding beautician skills and Harley using his face and shoulders as a ramp for his hot wheels, despite having a perfectly good, expensive mat and ramp set up not even a foot away.  
James often laughed and claimed that Harley was Steve reborn, doing things his way and refusing to listen to any reason or logic when his mind was made up, though that became harder to do after falling in love with Tony, who was equally as strong-willed. James made it known that Harley was Steve’s karmic justice, for all the trouble the fellow super soldier gave him growing up.

Hope, Rhodey, Steve and Pepper were grilling outside and enjoying the warmth of the sun and pleasant Cali wind. New York was home, but man did the Cali energy get to you; nobody could say they didn’t want to just stretch out in the sun and doze off like Scott and Wong had done within three minutes of plopping into the lounge chairs by the pool and despite promising to take the kids down to the beach, were snoring in seconds while Stephen had just rolled his eyes, put on his shades and went back to tanning.

Steve, despite getting the task of manning the grill, was making desperate heart eyes at Tony every time he stepped out to check the pot or fetched the finished food or jumped to stop Gwen from making her devious (and poorly planned) escape to the pool, and just seeing that, and not to mention Peter basically yanking their hair out with his play brush, Clint and Logan’s conversation about the pros and cons of having Logan use his claws for the lamb skewers fading into the background, let James and Natasha know they were home.

“Where did Thor say he was again? He’s not off world is he? I know Bruce left for Korea on Wednesday” Carol says to the room, spying Nat and Bucky’s soft smiles while wiping the counters down and getting plates out for lunch.

“Point Break is visiting his lady dearest in England, they apparently can’t get away for a couple of months either so he’ll be gone for a bit,” Tony supplies, “God, I wish I was Jane right now,” he adds on, mock wistfulness present in his voice.

“Hey!” Steve calls entering the lounge area with the others, Scott and Wong rubbing at their eyes to wake and Rhodey carrying in the pot.

“What? I didn’t mean it in that way, Sugarplum, just that she’s sciencing it up and getting to do crazy, dangerous experiments,” comes Tony’s reply, rolling his eyes fondly and wrapping his arms around Steve’s middle and leaning up for a kiss. "You're the only buff blondie I want," he teases. 

“Yeah Steve, pretty sure you’re perfect in that area, considering not only do you have four little tykes runnin’ around, but that Tony’s got another bun in the oven,” Logan says, smiling playfully at Tony and wiggling his eyebrows. “Give the rest of us some time to catch up, will ya Metal head,” he continues jokingly.

“Catch up? Tony’s had enough for all of us and Rhodey and I happily choose to live vicariously through him. Honestly Tones, I don’t know how you do it,” Carol comments, winking and smirking smugly at the pair still embracing in the middle of the room.

“That’s our fertile myrtle,” Clint jokes, smile creeping onto his face as he scoops up Harley to make place for Strange, “we should probably keep the two of them away from each other, 'cause I’m convinced that at this stage, if Steve even so much as breathes a certain way, Tony’ll be knocked up with like, quintuplets or something.”

"That's so not how reproduction works," Strange comments from beside Hope, at the same time Tony quips back, “Wow Barton, who knew you knew such a big word?”, flicking Clint off with no real bite, because at this point he was used to their joking. Bucky called them bunnies and Bruce wanted Tony to trial run new contraceptives he had developed, joking that if it worked for Tony, it could work for anyone.

It’s nice and good, everyone spread around the lounge, getting food into plates and drinks into hands while Tony sits down next to Logan, Steve retrieving Gwen and Nova from their playpen.

Tony playfully bumps their shoulders together, smiling over at him. “What’s that look, Claws?” he asks.

“Nuthin’, just that you got a good thing going for you here, Stark. You and Blondie seem pretty perfect for each other, I’m happy for you,” Logan finally says, ruffling Peter’s hair when he comes over to lean against Tony’s legs.

Lifting Peter into his lap and taking the plate Carol brings over to him, Tony looks over at Steve, Gwen and Nova in his arms and Harley clutching at his leg. He looks up and makes eye contact, smiling bashfully at Tony.

****

****

“Yeah, I got pretty lucky, didn’t I?” Tony replies, smile spreading over his face.

This was happiness.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Drink some water, take your meds, compliment yourself and know you're loved!! Until next Time. Edit: find me on tumblr: http://yodelling-tony-stark.tumblr.com/


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